Will Shipley stood up at the podium with a sneaky smile on his face during the first week of training camp. The cliche would be to say like a kid in candy store, but this was more akin to a chocolate addict getting locked in the Hershey’s factory.
Shipley — a fourth-round pick out of Clemson — had just been asked if he was excited to finally strap the pads and hit someone when his eyes lit up like Boathouse Row. Ready? He was born to dish out and absorb contact.
“It brings a smile to my face. I missed it,” Shipley said about taking hits on July 31. “I hadn’t gotten hit since last December, December of last year, so as a running back it’s something you got to love … the physicality of football and everything that comes with it.”
Then, Will Shipley put his money where his mouth was in last week’s 14-13 preseason win against New England. He rushed for 15 yards on five carries while making four catches for 31 yards, highlighted by a 19-yard screen on a 2nd-and-22. That rumble showed off the rookie’s supreme physicality as he dragged three Patriots defenders to pick up four tough yards at the end of the play.
Catching the ball out of the backfield is something Shipley prides himself on. It could even inch him up the depth chart, possibly in the conversation to leap-frog Kenny Gainwell as the No. 2 running back if he can improve his technique in pass protection.
“Will has done a nice job. He’s transitioned.” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said of Shipley. “Anyone who is coming from the college game to the NFL game, protection is a little bit more of a beast both mentally and physically. There’s just more variables. He’s done a nice job with it, and we’re excited with where he’s going.”
Drawing Comparisons: Danny Woodhead or Jahmyr Gibbs?
The first name brought up by head coach Nick Sirianni when talking about Will Shipley was an interesting one. He compared the rookie to a hard-working running back who racked up 4,936 all-purpose yards and 32 touchdowns in 101 career games.
“I keep saying it to our coaches, like there are things about him that remind me of Danny Woodhead, just the style of his body,” Sirianni said. “Danny was a little shorter, but I think just the way they’re kind of built reminds me of each other, and some of the things that they do.”
Woodhead was three inches shorter, at 5-foot-8, and came into the league undrafted in 2008 so Shipley’s ceiling should be way higher. According to Will Shipley, he has been studying a certain young Pro Bowler for the Detroit Lions in recent weeks. He wants to be a complete back in every sense of the word.
“Watching a lot of film on Jahmyr Gibbs, just how versatile he is,” Will Shipley said. “His ability to make people miss, get through the little holes, and also just how elusive he is, catching the ball out of the backfield. He’s a back that can do it in a multitude of ways. And that’s something that I want to hang my hat on and be able to do as well.”
The other guy Will Shipley has been watching intently is teammate Saquon Barkley, arguably the best player at his position in the NFL. Those lessons have been up close and personal, happening every day in the Eagles’ meeting rooms.
“[He’s teaching me] how to be a pro, removing all the football knowledge out of it, just how to prepare off the field,” Shipley said. “How to prepare in the film room, take care of your body off the field as well, just so many different things that he’s willing to share, and willing to help me out with. I’ve been very grateful for 26 and all the other guys in the room.”
Saquon Barkley Impressed with Will Shipley’s Smarts
Will Shipley has enough wow plays to fill up a blackboard in any elite classroom in the country. You see, the Clemson graduate has the brain power to outthink opponents on and off the field. Remember, Shipley skipped his fourth college season to follow his NFL dream.
“Had a fourth year, but ultimately graduated in December and had the option to move on,” Will Shipley told reporters at the draft. “This has been my lifelong dream. It’s what I want to do. God gave me the opportunity. He made it very clear to me what his path for me was.”
The 21-year-old was a straight A student in high school before going on to earn his undergraduate degree with a perfect 4.0 GPA. He’s smart smart, not just football smart. Which is an impressive fact not lost on Pro Bowl teammate Saquon Barkley.
“He’s super smart. I mean, he scored like a 1450 or something like that on the SAT. That’s insane. I guess like a 1500 or 1600 is the highest,” Barkley told reporters on August 5 when asked about Will Shipley. “He asks a lot of questions, kind of like how I was as a rookie. I just tried to come in and ask as many questions as I can because I’m trying to go out there and perform at a high level.
“And you can tell that he loves the game, and he goes out there and he plays with passion, and he pushes himself every single day. And he’s always trying to improve and he’s always trying to get better. And when you have that mindset, the rest is going to take care of itself, I believe.”
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
